Had the one who grieved been Abu Bakr, he would have been more entitled to the [assurance of] safety than the Messenger of Allah—may His glory be exalted—and [the Prophet] would not have grieved.

Then the Messenger of Allah—may His glory be exalted—said to Abu Bakr: "Indeed, I see 'Ali, Khadija, the polytheists of Quraysh and their discourse with him, and the ship of Ja'far ibn Abi Talib and those with him floating in the sea; and I see the group of the Ansar making a clamor ¹ in Medina.

" Abu Bakr said: "Do you see them, O Messenger of Allah, while you are in this cave and darkness, and despite the distance between you and them from Medina to Mecca?" The Messenger of Allah—may His glory be exalted—said: "I shall show you what I have seen, O Abu Bakr, so that you may believe me." He wiped his hand over Abu Bakr's sight and said to him: "Look, O Abu Bakr, at the polytheists of Quraysh, and at my brother 'Ali upon the bed, and his discourse with them, and at Khadija at the side of the house. And look at the ship of Ja'far ibn Abi Talib and those with him, how it floats in the sea." Abu Bakr looked at all of this and was struck by panic and terror; he said: "O Messenger of Allah, I have no strength for what you have shown me, so return my veil to me."